Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-31

tolerablc good crittur," said sam, but
| he mint got but one eye. =
''Ef ! rejects right. y replied Larkins,
| but it's been so long thet mebbe I've
fergot-the hoss ! got from you didn't
hev but one eye. an Kin tell yer thet
wus his leastes' fault
| II don't min tibet so much" said Sam,
poking his switch Close to the horses eye
and making him blink: "a hoss with one
good eye is better'n n hoss with two glass
ones wat he cant see out'n'
| "Thet's so, fur fac said Larkins,
''an' this here hoss hes got good eye, -
ser kin see fur yersif."
"Will yer swap i'm fur this here MULE
asked Sam.
"W'at, event.
Eyes" Their mules got two good
eyes an tibet oughfer make it even"
Yer think sos Lemme tell yer. I have
been a lookin' ct thet mules eyes, an
she'll be stone bline in less'n three yer
! fur fac. "
How d yer know thets'
''Thar's signs, yer see. You don't
| know nothin' bout em. but does, es
does ev'ry man wat hes he'd ter do with
hosses an mules es long es hes"
Watts ther signs;'
well, ] c'uldn't jis' tell yer. A feller
hes ter l'arn 'cm by practeese, yer see"
Sam sat silently contemplating the
black horse with a longing eye for some
time. then he said: ''Sirce yer won't swop
even, tell me wat yer will do"
Larkins pushed his hat up and scratched
his head, while he appeared to earnestly
consider the matter.
.I'll tell yer wat I'll do" he said,
slowly, after a few minutes occupied in
| this way: "Since we'se ole frien's, es yer
mought say, an hes he'd dealin's afore,
| I'll let yer hevc this hoss fur ther mule
an twinty dollars"
"Twinty dollars exclaimed Sam.
"'Pcars like yer wanter stick me agin."
stick yer! Why, shake alive, man!
'twus me was stuck in 'tother trade"
Sam got down and examined the horse,
| looking in his mouth, in his one eye, and
giving his tail a jerk. seeming to fear that
there might he something deceptive In
that beautiful black appendage.
"Oh, he's all right" said Larkins;
''ain't no glass eyes nor nothin' er that
! sort bout i'm"
How ole is he," asked Sam.
"Well, rcckin he's somep'n over ten
| YER was the reply. Il ,'pose that mule,
| now, amt less'n twenty. But yer can't
| tell norhin' 'bont mule-he mought be
ten ur he mought be hunderd, an yer
w'uldn't know ther dcf'rence. A mules
mule an yer'ye got ter take i'm on
sight an onsccn, es yer mought say"
IN tell yer wat III do" said Sam;
'sI'll give yer ther mule an SO, au' thet's
! far enough"
oh. come now" said Larkins, ''yer
wanter stick me gin"
stick yert'
.'Terber sho' yer docs. This here hoss
| Is wuth two sich mules es thet, an yer
knows it-fur yer amt no fool wen 1t
comes ter tradin' hosses, l knows tibet
But, hows'cver. wen l begins trade l
amt one ter be run of by thrip ur o
sevenpence, SO III tuck ther mule an Slo
an ther hoss is your'n.'
After n little consideration Sam, taking
the mans word for it, and believing he
really had beat him in a horse trade be-
fore, slipped his hand into his pocket and
drew out u roll Of bills, whica he counted
over.
THAR amt but sl4 hye.." he said,
"an' thct's all I've got"
"Oh. WELL" said Larkins, "as I said
aforc, | amt one ter be run off'n n trade
by a thrip ur seveupence, an ain't
a. -soin' ter stan on dolier nuthcr-so it 8
a trade" and ;lismounting he took the
saddle off the horse and laid 1t on the
ground.
The change Of saddles and brides was
soon made, and Sam handed the money
over to Larkins. who showed it into his
pocket without counting IL, when the two
rode OF in different directions, Larkins
looking over his shoulder when he had
gone little way to call out: I'm afraid
you've done stuck me again, an this here
tradin' sperrit is n-goin' ter ruin me yet,
but can't hep it. y
sam rode along ponicring over the little
transaction in which he had Just been en-
gagged He hud switch in his hand, and
gave his new horse a sharp cut with 1t,
which seemed to have about as exhilarat-
ing an effect on him as I. might have had
on n rhinoceros.
"Durn thcr hoss - said Sam. laying on
the switch two or three tines, and finding
the animal didn't quicken his gait, hes
the crawlin'est crittur | ever seed
Then he began To think that perhaps he
hadn't stuck Larkins 50 badly in this last
trade The mule he had parted with was
the best animal they had on the farm. and
b good mule Is better than an indifferent
horse though a vain mun NAV not like the
steed he bes,rides TO have so much ears
and So Ltilc tail as the former is cener-
20 ;hs xiIl,a. ,,yer, wb.re he founJ some
~ biS .ronies i,I.rg ,honr
LIN Sa,,r' I'D ON. n, than ..,,,
yer another glass eyed hoss''
He amt got but one eye, replied Sam,
..wa,I be,s . rich, ,ics root,p, cr;,,ur
,,.. ,iI .r7,ho, ..,n, - 90 s,;or,
an; "h;rv as src,sy NICER az, dawn
g. an; I..s H. somc Inn" :"
S,,n J;s,,onn,.d and ,ie,, his horse N
-, 49,, 49,. ,o,,no 49,, ,,.,,, into
,hs ,ar.,rn ,.ho-s ,b. Sounds of mncb